Practice Problems: Basic Electrostatics
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If you feel that you have mastered these topics through the work you did in Physics 1, you do not need to work these problems.

1. (easy) A point charge (q₁) has a magnitude of 3x10^-6C.  A second charge (q₂) has a magnitude of -1.5x10^-6C and is located 0.12m from the first charge.  Determine the electrostatic force each charge exerts on the other.

2. (easy) Describe the changes to the magnitude and direction of the force on one of the charges in an electric dipole when the distance between the charges increase.

3. (easy) The picture you see here is of a device called an "electroscope". It is used to detect the presence of excess charge. The top of the electroscope is made of a metal ball (a conductor). The ball is attached to two very lightweight metal "leaves" by means of a conducting shaft. The leaves are protected from the outside by a glass case. If a positively charged rod was held close to the top of the metal ball of the electroscope, the leaves would spread apart due to an excess of what type of charge in the leaves?

4. (easy) If the electroscope in the previous question was charged by conduction to have excess electrons on the leaves, the leaves would spread out as shown in the picture. If a positively charged object was then brought in close to the metal ball on the top of the electroscope would the leaves spread further or would they come closer together?

5. (easy) Now assume that the electroscope from question #3 has no excess charge. If a positively charged rod is then held close to the left side of the metal ball while the right side of the ball is grounded, the leaves will remain separated after the ground and the rod are removed (in that order). If a negatively charged rod was then placed next to the metal ball would the leaves spread apart more or come closer together?

6. (easy) Evaluate the sketch below, assuming that the dot in the center of each line is the same charge for each arrangement. Determine which central charge has the greatest net force acting on it. Additionally, comment on the net force on the central charge of the other two arrangements. The arrangements do not interact with each other and the charges are evenly spaced. Finally, determine the direction of the net force on the central charge if it is positive.

7. (moderate) Four charges are located on the corners of a square.  The sides of the square have a length of 0.05m. The upper left corner has a charge of q.  The upper right corner has a charge of -q.  The lower left corner has a charge of 2q.  The lower right corner has a charge of -2q.  If the magnitude of q is 1.0x10^-7C, find the magnitude of the force exerted on the charge at the lower left corner of this system.

8. (moderate) Two identical charges (mass = 1.0 x10^-6 kg) are at rest on the surface of a hemispherical bowl of radius R = 0.25 m. Three forces act on each particle: The normal force, the weight force, and the repulsive force they exert on each other. The normal force acting on either charge (caused by the surface of the bowl) is at a 60° angle to the horizontal. Find the charge on each particle.

9. You are given the following devices: a plastic rod, a sample of rabbit fur, a small conducting sphere hanging from an insulating string on a stand, a glass rod, and a sample of silk cloth.

a. In a well-constructed paragraph, explain how a student could use these devices to prove that charges can only be described as either positive or negative (the two-charge model).

b. In a well-constructed paragraph that includes commentary on Coulomb’s Law, explain how the devices could be used to prove the concept of induced polarization.

c. In a well-constructed paragraph describe a natural system (other than lightning) you have experienced that can be explained using the concepts of charging learned in this unit. You must be specific regarding the objects in the system, the processes you describe to attain the charged objects, and the type of charge found on the objects in the system after charging.

10. (hard) Two point charges are located on the x axis.  They are both positive, but the one located at x = 0 has a charge of q while the one located at x = L has a charge of 4q.  If a third charge is placed on the x axis in between the two charges so that the net force on ANY of the charges is zero, determine the magnitude of the third charge and its location.

Please supplement these problems with those found in your companion text.